Races of Toril (and Beyond)
This list is a compilation of all of the playable races that reside on Toril, or anywhere beyond it, as well as relevant cultural backstories and statistics. WIP Dragonborn Dwarf Elf Firbolg Genasi Gnome Goblin Goliath Half-Elf Half-Orc Halfling Human Hydronian Illithid Kenku Kobold Lizardfolk Myconid Myrdra Orc Tabaxi Tiefling Tortle Triton Yuan-ti Aasimar Background Aasimar bear within their souls the light of the heavens. They are descended from humans with a touch of the power of Mount Celestia, the divine realm of many lawful good deities. Aasimar are born to serve as champions of the gods, their births hailed as blessed events. They are a people of otherworldly visages, with luminous features that reveal their celestial heritage. Aasimar are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice. From an early age, an aasimar receives visions of guidance from celestial entities via dreams. These dreams help shape an aasimar, granting a sense of destiny and a desire for righteousness. Each aasimar can count a specific celestial agent of the gods as a guide. This entity is typically a deva, an angel who acts as a messenger to the mortal world. While aasimar are strident foes of evil, they typically prefer to keep a low profile. An aasimar inevitably draws the attention of evil cultists, fiends, and other enemies of good, all of whom would be eager to strike down a celestial champion if they had the chance. When traveling, aasimar prefer hoods, closed helms, and other gear that allows them to conceal their identities. They nevertheless have no compunction about striking openly at evil. The secrecy they desire is never worth endangering the innocent. Despite its celestial origin, an aasimar is mortal and possesses free will. Most aasimar follow their ordained path, but some grow to see their abilities as a curse. These disaffected aasimar are typically content to turn away from the world, but a few become agents of evil. In their minds, their exposure to celestial powers amounted to little more than brainwashing. Evil aasimar make deadly foes. The radiant power they once commanded becomes corrupted into a horrid, draining magic, and their angelic guides abandon them. Even aasimar wholly dedicated to good sometimes feel torn between two worlds. The angels that guide them see the world from a distant perch. An aasimar who wishes to stop and help a town recover from a drought might be told be an angelic guide to push forward on a greater quest. To a distant angel, saving a few commoners might pale in comparison to defeating a cult of Orcus. An aasimar's guide is wise but not infallible. Falling from Grace or Rising to It With your DM's consent, you can change your character's subrace to fallen aasimar '''if your '''aasimar '''turns to evil. To do so, replace your subrace benefits, including the ability score increase, with those of a '''fallen aasimar. '''Similarly, if your '''fallen aasimar '''turns to good, your DM might allow you to become a normal '''aasimar. Aasimar Aasimar are charged by the powers of good to guard the weak, to strike at evil wherever it arises, and to stand vigilant against the darkness. From a young age, an aasimar receives advice and directives that urge to stand against evil. * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Wis +1; Cha +2 * ''Age. ''Aasimar mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 160 years. * ''Alignment. ''Aasimar are * ''Size. ''Aasimar have the same range of height and weight as humans. Your size is medium. * ''Speed. ''Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * ''Darkvision. ''Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * ''Celestial Resistance. ''You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage. * ''Healing Hands. ''As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. * ''Light Bearer. ''You know the light ''cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. * 'Languages. 'You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial. * 'Radiant Soul. 'Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. '''Fallen' Aasimar An aasimar who was touched by dark powers as a youth or who turns to evil in early adulthood can become one of the fallen; a group of aasimar whose inner light has been replaced by shadow. * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Str +1; Cha +2 * ''Age. ''Aasimar mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 160 years. * ''Alignment. ''Fallen Aasimar are * ''Size. ''Aasimar have the same range of height and weight as humans. Your size is medium. * ''Speed. ''Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * ''Darkvision. ''Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * ''Celestial Resistance. ''You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage. * ''Healing Hands. ''As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. * ''Light Bearer. ''You know the light ''cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. * 'Languages. 'You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial. * 'Necrotic Shroud. 'Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra necrotic damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. '''Astralborn' Background Astralborn are beings of pure astral essence, birthed by the thoughts of a mad, fallen deity. They are humanoid in stature, but are completely unique in appearance, with their bodies being made from an incorporeal essence that moves in a fluid nature, taking on the look of a star-filled sky, fringed with wisps ranging in color. Astralborn appear spontaneously, with no real heritage or goal, and they die fairly young, giving them no time to form societies, civilizations, cultures, or significant legacies. Astralborn do not take on conventional names for they have no need for them in their short lifespans, but they will adopt nicknames to use in their interactions with other living beings. Given their origins, astralborn are chaotic and childish in nature, and they have adventurous and daring spirits. Most astralborn that integrate themselves into another humanoid society often find themselves falling into a life of crime or misadventure, where the punishments of law have no overbearing effect on their short lifespans. The nature of the astralborn is shrouded in mystery, as they can not produce offspring, and so their overzealous and adventurous attitudes do not make sense to other mortal races. Despite their lack of culture, astralborn that meet with one another form strong, sibling-like bonds, and larger collectives of astralborn have formed social hierarchies based on age alone. A commonly shared prospect among astralborn is the belief in reincarnation, and that every death is just a doorway into a new life. This ideology provides astralborn with a rather energetic behavior with the knowledge that death is never the end. Whether this belief holds true is beyond anyone's knowledge. Astralborn appear like star-filled silhouettes of humans with chromatic wisps emanating from their bodies gently. Astralborn have very few facial features, those being slight suggestions as to eye sockets, noses, and hairstyles. With their appearances commonly mimicking that of already existing humanoid races, it is believed that the deity had envisioned its own species that it wished to birth into the world, but was unable to complete the vision before their demise. The space around an astralborn seems to distort slightly, and as they move around, they leave wispy, sparkling trails behind them, only adding to their mystical appearance. Astralborn * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Two of your choice +2 * ''Age. ''Astralborn are mature as soon as they are "born", and they live no more than 15 years, bursting into a shower of sparkling dust upon their death day. * ''Alignment. ''Astralborn are * ''Size. ''Astralborn are the same height and weight as humans. Your size is Medium. * ''Speed. ''Astralborn are rather swift on their feet. Your base walking speed is 35 feet. * ''Phase Distortion. ''As a reaction, a spell or weapon attack made against you is made with disadvantage. You may not use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. * ''Displacement. ''As a bonus action, you can magically turn invisible until you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw. While you are invisible in this way, you may take the Dash action as a bonus action, and you have truesight. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. * ''Astral Being. ''You have resistance to acid, necrotic, and poison damage, and you are immune to the petrified and poisoned conditions, however, you have vulnerability to force and radiant damage, and every time you gain a level of exhaustion, you gain an additional level of exhaustion. * ''Languages. ''You can speak, read, and write Common. Hydronian Background wip Hydronian * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Str +2; Int +1 * ''Age. ''Hydronian reach maturity around 24 years and can live to be a little over 3,000. * ''Alignment. ''Hydronians (lawful neutral) * ''Size. ''Hydronians stand between 7 and 8 feet tall. Your size is Medium. * ''Speed. ''Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * ''Multi-Minded. ''Hydronians have five separate minds and they are linked together as one by a psychic link. As a result, you have resistance to psychic damage. * ''Five Heads Are Better than One. ''With five heads, you can see in five directions at once. If you are surprised, you can make a Wisdom (Perception) check. You can use the result instead of your passive Wisdom (Perception) to determine whether or not you're surprised. * ''Unyielding Demeanor. ''You have advantage on Intimidation checks, and are immune to being charmed or frightened. * ''Languages. ''You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Illithid (Mind Flayer) Background wip Illithid * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Int +2; Wis +1 * ''Age. ''Illithids complete full ceremorphosis by the age of 9, and have become fully mature and complete in their education by age 15. Illithids live longer than humans, but they do eventually die naturally. * ''Alignment. ''Illithids have a natural tendency towards hierarchy, discipline, and cruelty, and have an alignment of lawful evil. * ''Size. ''Most illithids are at least as tall as humans, standing at least a few inches shy of six feet, but their bodies are very slender and emaciated, weighing much less than an average being of their stature. Your size is medium. * ''Speed. ''Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * ''Darkvision. ''Thanks to your ancestors dwelling in the Underdark, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * ''Tentacles. ''Your tentacles are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, and when using your tentacles as an attack you can choose to have the target make a DC 12 Strength saving throw, or they become grappled. * ''Mind Blast. ''You emit a psionic blast in a 10 foot radius around yourself. Hostile creatures within that area must make an Intelligence saving throw equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. Hostile creatures take psychic damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus and are stunned for 1 minute on a failed save. You can not use this feature again until you finish a long rest. * ''Telepathy. ''You can communicate mentally with another creature that knows at least one language within a 60-foot radius. This creature doesn't need to share a language with you, but unless they have telepathy themselves, they can only receive and respond to you, and they can't initiate or terminate a telepathic conversation. You must be conscious to use this trait and cannot telepathically communicate with multiple creatures at once. * ''Languages. ''You can speak, read, and write Undercommon and Deep Speech. Myconid Background wip Myconid * ''Ability Score Increase. ''Wis +2; Con +1 * ''Age. ''Myconids reach maturity at 6 years old and can live to be a little over 1,000. * ''Alignment. ''Most myconids are true neutral, good myconids are fairly common, and evil myconids are very rare. * ''Size. ''Myconids range from 4 to 6 feet in height and weigh from 70 to 120 pounds. Your size is Medium. * ''Speed. ''Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * ''Superior Darkvision. ''Accustomed to the darkness of the Underdark, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colors in darkness, only shades of gray. * ''Sun Sickness. ''While in direct sunlight, unless otherwise concealed, you have disadvantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. * ''Pacifiying Spores. ''As an action, you can eject spores at one creature you can see within 15 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Constitution modifier or be stunned for 1 minute or until it takes damage. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can not use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. * ''Animating Spores. ''As an action, you can target one corpse of a humanoid or a Large or smaller beast within 5 feet and release spores at the target. In 24 hours, the corpse rises as a spore servant. ''The corpse stays animated for 1d4+1 days or until destroyed, and it can't be animated again in this way. You can only have one ''spore servant ''at a time. You can not use this feature again until you finish a long rest. * 'Languages. '''You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.